Washington, U.S.A. — Hudson Institute Chief Economist Tim Kane is available to comment on U.S. employment numbers and his recent analysis of unemployment in the swing states.

Kane says: ”If voters in the swing states ask themselves if they are better off than they were four years ago, the answer will be no. Comparing official data in 2008 to September 2012 (the latest data available), we see the unemployment rate has increased in every one of the nine most hotly contested swing states. Ohio saw its unemployment rate rise by half a percentage point from 6.5% in 2008 to 7.0% today, but Nevada suffered more than anywhere with its level rising from 7.0% in 2008 to 11.8% today.

“If President Obama loses the election next Tuesday, he has nothing but his economic policies to blame. In early 2009, Obama’s top economists promised that the unemployment would come down nationally to 5.5 percent by the end of his first term if Congress would enact the stimulus package. Despite Republican warnings, a hyper-partisan vote in Congress with Democratic majorities in both chambers did pass the stimulus. The result has been a jobless recovery, with unemployment rates two-and-a-half full points higher than promised, which doesn’t include the millions of discouraged Americans who have stopped looking for jobs and so are not officially counted as unemployed.”

Tim Kane often provides analysis on major television networks and radio outlets. He is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy with a Ph.D. in economics from the University of California, San Diego. He is co-authoring a book (with Glenn Hubbard) entitled, Balance: Why Great Powers Lose It and How America Can Regain It, forthcoming from Simon & Schuster in early 2013.

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In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the super storm has left a trail of devastation across the eastern seaboard and parts of the Midwest. The storm has come and gone, bringing torrential rains and winds that have thrown the lives of hundreds of thousands into disarray. Schools are only now just re-opening in parts of the country. People are returning to work in lower Manhattan for the first time in a week, and parts of the tri-state area are still without power.

What is the one thing that isn’t necessarily on everyone’s minds but should be? The Presidential election this Tuesday, November 6. Schools will open for students returning in New York City, but that does not account for those schools and areas still affected by the storm. Worse yet, those schools and other public buildings are also where voting for the elections will take place.

The problem is rapidly becoming how to get the information out to people regarding where to vote if their designated location is flooded, closed or damaged beyond repair. Even if people wanted to vote at the new locations, how would they know? Those without power cannot watch the news or hear the radio for updates. The storm could have not only damaged a voting site, but also the residential homes in which voters live; voters may still be displaced.

On top of this, New York City, resilient as it may be, is slowly recuperating after an attack of uncontrollable strength. There are priorities in the minds of the East Coast habitants other than voting for the Presidential election. Concerns range from mile-long gas lines, food and water shortages, to housing problems. Shelters are being opened in schools, but are only available to the public until school starts this week. With all of this on residents’ minds, how much of a priority can you expect the election to be in comparison to feeding a family and making the two or three-hour commute between boroughs to get to work?

As of November 5, trains between lower Manhattan and the Brooklyn waterfront are now running with delays. Railroads are running with delays, and the NJ Path and Long Beach branch of the Long Island Rail Road are still suspended. Both the Battery and Lincoln tunnels are suspended as well. The G train is currently suspended, and the 7 train has only just returned to service this weekend. However, many bus routes have shorter lines now that driving restrictions have been lifted to and from Manhattan.

Still, there is little to no gas for cars to get moving. How does someone go to work knowing that there is damage to his or her house from the storm, never mind worrying about voting? The looting of homes and cars has increased in the aftermath of the storm, but will hopefully decrease as power is returned to the outlying areas of southern Brooklyn. That said, it is reported that some two million residents are still without power in the U.S. due to the storm, and the cold weather is coming in fast. With temperatures dipping into the 30s this week and possible rain, snow and showers come into the mix. Patience is in short supply and worries are on the rise for what seems to be yet another week of setbacks.

These are the kind of issues that plague the minds of residents hardest hit by the storm. Private households and small businesses in the Tri-state area, each in their own communities, have come out to offer help to their fellow residents. Corporations such as PepsiCo have stepped into the spotlight to send relief in the form of food and beverages, no doubt hoping to also build good brand support. But what can be done for the voting public as of now?

Those that still want to vote need to get the word out. If you have internet, radio or television, tell your neighbors. Tell your friends and family. Make sure that those who wish to vote know how, and  that they have choices and options. Those that need to know where their voting sites have been re-located to can text “NYCVOTES” to 877-877 or “Donde” to the same number in Spanish.

Websites for New York City MTA and the New York State Board of Elections, as well as the list of county by county Board of Elections offices can be helpful.

For those who cannot reach their designated polling places, they are encouraged to go to their local Board of Elections Building. The Board of Elections buildings for each borough is as follows:

Bronx: 1780 Grand Concourse, 5th floor
Brooklyn: 345 Adams Street, 4th floor
Manhattan 450 West 33rd Street, 10th floor (temporary BOE office)
Queens: 126-06 Queens Boulevard, Kew Gardens
Staten Island: 1 Edgewater Plaza, 4th floor

Make no mistake: The immediate and most urgent priority is to take care of family and friends. Food and shelter are absolute necessity for young children and toddlers. It cannot be said enough though, that if all of the essentials are secured, if you and your family have food, water and power, please vote. The future of our nation, not just for the next few weeks, but for the next four years, hangs in the balance. Make sure your voice is heard, and support your presidential candidate.

Image Courtesy : Anton Oparin / Shutterstock.com

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New York, U.S.A. — Activists are taking to the streets of cities across the country to spread artwork with the message to Get Big Money Out of Politics in a massive “Artdrop.” The event signals the growing momentum of the movement, with more than a dozen major national groups coming together to raise the message above the din of the billions of dollars flooding into the 2012 election.

The effort is part of an image overhaul for this wonky issue. The makeover comes thanks to Shepard Fairey, Jesse Dylan and artists across the country who recently chose “Monopolistic” as the winner of a national competition designed to invigorate the issue. The “Artdrop” will spread Monopolistic and other new images created for the competition online and on the ground.

“This is about empowering people to take back control of their democracy, not from one party or another, but from the money that has concentrated political power in the hands of the few,” said Shepard Fairey, the artist who created the iconic “Hope” poster.

“Artdrop” actions include online image distribution and sharing, distributing stickers, wheat pasting posters, mud stencils and giant light projection on buildings. Teams consist of up to 25 volunteers; there are multiple teams in major cities. Locations include New York, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Boston, Cleveland, the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Austin, Albuquerque, Denver, Chicago, Madison, Saint Louis, Richmond, Connecticut, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Iowa City, Kansas City, North Dakota, New Jersey—and others.

“Eight out of ten Americans want campaign finance limits that would address our current system of legalized bribery. Movements need more than strong polling numbers to make change—art, culture and image play a huge role,” says unPAC co-founder Matt Palevsky. “Americans have overwhelmingly agreed about the problem of big money in politics—the unprecedented amounts of money in this election could be the tipping point for real action.”

Landon Wix, whose winning artwork “Monopolistic” will be the major focus of the “Artdrop, ” says Fairey was a big inspiration for his work. The Nashville native cares deeply about the issue of money in politics.

“Growing up in a working class family, I’ve always understood and appreciated the power of the people. Politicians are those who represent us and should be decided by us,” says Wix.

In the first presidential election since Citizens United, political spending has passed $2 billion dollars—much of that is outside money. 78 percent of outside money can be directly attributed to the effects of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, which allowed the formation of Super PACs and unlimited donations by corporations.

“People are frustrated by the way money has hijacked our democracy, and they often feel powerless to stop it,” says Michael Keegan, President of People For the American Way. “Art is a vehicle for expressing this frustration while at the same time serving to bring people together, inspiring the kind of collective action that can create real political change.”

Image Courtesy :  Gage Skidmore

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Atlanta, U.S.A. — During the October 16 U.S. Presidential debate, Republican nominee Mitt Romney said President Barack Obama waited 14 days to declare the attack in Benghazi an “Act of Terror” before the president protested, interrupting, “Get the transcript,” which he claimed refuted Romney’s assertion.

Videotape from the live event shows debate moderator Candy Crowley with what appears to be the transcript of the President’s Rose Garden speech in hand, waving it about as if on cue from the President.

The video, distributed by Job Creators Solutions, demonstrates how that exchange should prompt the media and the public at large to ask why Ms. Crowley held up a document at that critical moment in the debate.

“The debates are a sacred part of our democratic system,” said Herman Cain, co-founder of Job Creators Solutions and former presidential candidate. ”The American public deserves to know if that system was subverted. This video raises enough questions to make us all deeply uncomfortable until we know the answers.”

To assist the public in its own evaluation, Jobs Creators Solutions has produced the video showing the moment when, prompted by President Obama, Crowley produces what appears to be the transcript of the September 12 remarks. The “TranscriptGate” video can be viewed at http://bit.ly/SgGXMt.

Images Courtesy of Austen Hufford | Gage Skidmore

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New York, U.S.A. — The kids of the United States have spoken and President Barack Obama has been elected the winner of Nickelodeon‘s 2012 Kids Pick the President ”Kids’ Vote.” Since it began in 1988, kids have correctly picked the winner (in advance of the national election) five out of the last six times. More than half a million votes were cast in the network’s online poll as part of Nickelodeon’s Kids Pick the President initiative to build young citizens’ awareness of, and involvement in, the election process.

President Obama received 65% of the vote and former Governor Mitt Romney received 35%. In order to more closely replicate the actual election, and to ensure the results were more authentic, this year the voting was limited to one vote per electronic device. Kids were able to cast their votes online from October 15 to October 22.

On Monday, October 22, at 7:30 p.m. (ET/PT), Linda Ellerbee, the Emmy Award-winning host of Nickelodeon’s Nick News, announced the winner of the Kids Pick the President ”Kids’ Vote” on the network.

“What politicians do definitely affects kids but for me, it’s not about who wins,” said Ellerbee. “It’s about creating tomorrow’s voters. Democracy takes work. We’re the practice field.”

Leading up to the Kids Pick the President online vote, Nickelodeon aired two election-themed Nick News with Linda Ellerbee specials this year, which ranked as the series’ highest-rated episodes for 2012 to date. In “Kids Pick the President: The Issues” (Sept. 17), kids nationwide ranked the campaign issues most important to them. “Kids Pick the President: The Candidates” (Oct. 15) provided an opportunity for the two major party U.S. Presidential candidates to answer kids’ questions. This year’s candidate special featured President Obama sitting down with Nick News at the White House to answer kids’ questions and previously taped video clips of Romney addressing issues raised by kids.  Romney was unable to participate in the special.

Image Courtesy of  U.S. Embassy New Delhi

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New York, U.S.A. — NewsOne.com, an urban digital media company, Interactive One’s African-American news website, published on October 23, an exclusive op-Ed penned by First Lady Michelle Obama that speaks directly to the country’s nearly 39 million Black Americans. The op-Ed addresses the importance of every vote in this November’s presidential election and Mrs. Obama encourages those who can, to vote early this year for her husband President Barack Obama.

“Now that so many states have early vote—including Ohio, North Carolina, Nevada, Colorado, Wisconsin, Florida, New Mexico, and Iowa—we can make our voices heard well before Election Day,” explains First Lady Michelle Obama. “So, if you live in a state with early voting, pledge to cast your ballot early—and then reach out to everyone you know and make sure they vote by November 6, too.”

Before reminding voters of the close results of the 2008 presidential election, the first lady recalls the long strides previous generations made to ensure the civil liberties all Americans enjoy today. She makes clear, however, that it “doesn’t mean our work is finished.” Mrs. Obama states, “Make no mistake, here in our time, it’s more important than ever that we show up to vote, not just this year, but every year and in every election. Every voice must be heard and every vote must be counted.”

Mrs. Obama’s op-Ed comes on the heels of an exclusive story published by NewsOne on October 11 where the first lady addressed issues affecting Black female voters. In the story she discusses President Obama’s latest debate performance, what’s at stake in this year’s presidential election, and whether the president has the support of Black women.

“NewsOne.com is the definitive source for news most relevant to the African-American community and our recent exclusives with First Lady Michelle Obama demonstrate that fact,” said Tom Newman, President, Interactive One. “The importance of Mrs. Obama’s message cannot be overstated. All of us at Interactive One eagerly encourage our readers to make their voices heard by voting and encouraging others to vote in next month’s election.”

To read First Lady Michelle Obama’s op-Ed, and for more information about NewsOne.com, visit their website.

Image Courtesy of Joyce N. Boghosian, White House photographer [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

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Portland, U.S.A — A coalition of Oregon’s equal rights, labor and conservation groups is leaping forward in its voter engagement by releasing a mobile voter guide powered by the newest geo-location technology.

“The Our Oregon Mobile Voter Guide is ahead of both the political and technology curves,” said Patrick Green, Our Oregon Executive Director. “We know that voters look to groups they trust for information and recommendations on ballot measures, and this app brings those recommendations right to their mobile device in a new agile way.”

The app uses new geo-location technology to precisely target a voter’s location, allowing the app to deliver election information relevant to each user. Users can enter an address or allow the app to use their device’s location services to get their local ballot measure information.

The platform was built and is being distributed by Winning Mark, a national political media firm based in Portland, Ore., and makes use of new geo-push technology developed and rolled out this October by Portland, Ore. tech startup Urban Airship.

“The mobile voter guide is a supremely versatile use of smartphone and tablet technology,” said Jeff Lennan, Winning Mark co-founder and technology director. “It allows a deeper level of conversation and activism by organizations and their supporters. That conversation will translate to votes this election and deeper engagement during the legislative session and beyond.”

Our Oregon is heavily promoting the mobile voter guide in a multi-media ad and social media campaign. Ads with taglines such as “A Better Oregon? There’s an app for that” are appearing on Tri-met buses, newspapers, Pandora radio, and other online media, with additional paid and organic promotions on Facebook and Twitter. Print versions of the voter guide will be mailed to Oregon voters.

The groups participating in the app collectively represent around 400,000 Oregonians. The app allows these groups to reach thousands of additional voters through the app and multi-media campaign.

While each organization has its own roster of ballot measure recommendations, most of the groups are targeting two: A No vote for Measure 84, which would eliminate the estate tax for estates worth more than$1 million, cutting hundreds of millions of dollars from schools and critical services; and a Yes vote for Measure 85, which would redirect corporate kicker refunds to K-12 schools.

Organizations participating in the Our Oregon Mobile Voter Guide are: Basic Rights Oregon, The Mother PAC, Oregon Education Association, Oregon League of Conservation Voters, Oregon AFL-CIO, Oregon PTA, Oregon AFSCME, American Federation of Teachers – Oregon, Oregon Nurses Association, SEIU Local 503, SEIU Local 49, and Planned Parenthood PAC of Oregon.

In building the mobile platform that runs the Our Oregon Mobile Voter Guide, Winning Mark used geo-segmented push technology by Urban Airship in Portland, Ore. and geo-coding via the Cicero API by Azavea in Philadelphia, Penn., to match the latitude and longitude of the mobile device to legislative and other local districts.

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Boca Raton, U.S.A — The candidates aren’t the only ones preparing for the October 22 presidential debate. AT&T is beefing up its mobile Internet network for the big event at Lynn University in Boca Raton. A Cell on Wheels, or COW, has been rolled in and an antenna system installed to boost mobile Internet coverage and capacity on the campus. Recognized as a top social media college, Lynn University is anticipating a high volume of mobile Internet usage on campus during the debate.

The AT&T COW, located at the edge of the campus, will help bolster voice connectivity and enhance performance of mobile Internet service. The antenna system, installed at the debate hall, will help accommodate the high volume of network traffic anticipated in the venue during the debate.

AT&T often rolls in mobile cell sites and makes other network upgrades for large events that generate a spike in network traffic in a specific geographic area.

“We realize how important the upcoming debate is, especially for those on the Lynn University campus,” said Marshall Criser, lll, president, AT&T Florida. “The network preparations we’ve made are designed to provide the best possible mobile Internet experience for the event.”

AT&T is driving investment and innovation across Florida to deliver a superior wireless experience. In the first half of 2012, we invested more than $400 million in our Florida wireless and wired networks. Network upgrades completed in South Florida this year include the activation of new cell sites to improve network coverage, deploying faster connections to enable 4G speeds, and adding spectrum capacity to support additional traffic. AT&T also launched 4G LTE in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach in July and have since expanded the service in those markets.

AT&T has the nation’s largest 4G network, covering 275 million people with ultra-fast speeds and a more consistent user experience. AT&T is the only U.S. service provider to deploy two compatible 4G technologies to deliver more speed to more customers. Our 4G LTE networks delivered faster average download speeds than any of our competitors in PCWorld’s most recent 13-market speed tests.

For more information about AT&T’s local network upgrades, visit our focus: South Florida microsite. For updates on the AT&T wireless network, please visit the AT&T network news page.

AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T.

Limited 4G LTE availability in select markets. Deployment ongoing.4G LTE device and data plan required. LTE is a trademark of ETSI. 4G speeds not available everywhere. Learn more about 4G LTE at att.com/network.

Image Courtesy of  Gage Skidmore & mistydawnphoto / Shutterstock.com

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Chicago, U.S.A — There are truisms, and then there are “really truisms.” And one of them is the notion that a person doesn’t have the right to complain, if he or she didn’t bother to vote. Democrat, Republican, or fiercely Independent – it is a rally cry that transcends political affiliations. And yet while the number of complainers continues to increase, those who express their feelings in the voting booth continues to decrease.

It is with this in mind that Chicago-based “Attention Agency” Third Street conceived the idea of launching a national, multimedia campaign entitled Real Complainers Vote – a non-partisan effort designed to encourage young registered voters to embrace two American privileges: Voting and Complaining. To achieve this goal, they teamed up with frequent collaborator, Foundation Content as well as acclaimed street artist Ray Noland and comedian TJ Miller.

Real Complainers Vote takes a “seriously humorous” look at how our nation isn’t just comprised of complainers; it was founded and built by them. Through a unique viral video, social media and street-level campaign materials, Real Complainers Vote seeks to motivate young voters to express themselves where it matters most – in the voting booth — on November 6.

Third Street Chief Creative Officer David T. Jones sums up the essence of the campaign: “We know that we don’t need to convince Americans to complain. We only need to convince them that complaining has a cover charge. And that cover charge is voting.”

Foundation Content’s Kyle Shoup, who served as Creative Director for the Real Complainers Vote project, said, “We wanted to take the opportunity to make something fun, but unique. The result was a piece that incorporated stop-motion, handmade, 2D & 3D design and animation. Mixed media is really what this piece became, and it gives the message an unusual and compelling look.”

To view the animated, viral video within this campaign, please see: http://realcomplainersvote.com/ and follow the Griping on twitter at: @complainersvote

Image Courtesy of  Mark Scott Spatny / Shutterstock.com

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Toronto, Canada – Wave Accounting, the disruptive creators of award-winning free small business accounting and payroll software, announced on September 11 the results of its small business opinion poll on the 2012 U.S. Presidential Election. Wave polled the U.S.-based portion of the company’s more than 300,000 customers regarding their opinions on the candidates’ potential impact on small business.

Key findings include:

• On the question, “Who is better for small businesses,” 53% of respondents chose Romney/Ryan, 39% chose Obama/Biden.
• Reducing government red tape is the number one issue for Republican voting respondents, with an overwhelming 90% citing this issue as “crucial.”
• Among voters intending to vote Democrat, the most important issue is improving health care options for small businesses (77% called it “crucial.”)
• Size matters: Support for Romney/Ryan grows as company size grows. 47% of companies with 6-9 employees say they are definitely voting Romney/Ryan, vs. 45% among companies with 2-5 employees, and 43% among one-person businesses.
• Support for the GOP ticket is strongest in the South where 57% of businesses favorRomney/Ryan.

“These insights represent the real opinions of real small businesses in America,” said Kirk Simpson, CEO of Wave Accounting.

Recent “small business” surveys have included opinions from companies with hundreds of employees and many millions in revenue. Because Wave specializes in online solutions for real small businesses with 9 employees or less, the company can access key insights from a unique and significant segment of the market.

“This group makes up 95% of businesses in the U.S., yet their voices are badly underrepresented in media and politics,” said Simpson. “Their opinions and needs are interesting, in some cases unexpected, and deserve to be heard.”

The complete Wave Small Business Opinions Report — 2012 U.S. Presidential Election is available at www.waveaccounting.com/election2012.

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Washington, U.S.A. – Bruce McBarnette, lawyer and real estate investor, is hosting this year the Art for Obama Reception Series in cities all across the country.This series, which was conducted in 45 galleries in 11 cities in eight states in 2008, is raising funds for the Obama campaign.

This year the Series will be hosted at galleries in several cities, including Washington, New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. The next receptions in Washington, DC will be held simultaneously at 6pm-10pm on Saturday, September 8, in Georgetown at the MOCA Gallery, the Parish Gallery, the Alla Rogers Gallery, and the Winter Palace Studio.

On Monday, September 24 there will be another reception in Georgetown at the Addison/Ripley Gallery. At each reception guests can buy art and contribute to the Obama campaign.

“I am so grateful to the many volunteers, artists, and gallery owners across the country who have been donating their time and talent to make the Art for Obama Reception Series so successful,” said Bruce McBarnette, who is president of Summit Connection LLC, a real estate investment company.Bruce McBarnette is well known for hosting charitable social events in Washington, DC for causes ranging from the homeless to disaster relief.

“A good number of people have been reaching out to us on the internet and that has allowed the Series to have a presence in many different places,” said Devlin Francis, owner of Cryptic Vision, the company providing website design and internet support for the Art for Obama Receptions Series.

For information about upcoming Art for Obama receptions and volunteer opportunities, visit http://mcbarnette.com/obama or http://facebook.com/artforobama.

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The Democratic National Convention is in its last -and most important- day. President Obama will talk today at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte to his delegates and to the entire American nation. The delegates have already shown their trust in Obama by appointing him as the Democratic Candidate for this year’s coming election.

Today, it will be Obama’s turn to show he trust his supporters, by accepting the delegates nomination. Attendees and viewers at home are expecting a speech that will convince supporters as well as undecided voters that he is the man for the job and that America should send him back to the White House for another four years.

His speech will be full of promises, but perhaps not with as many as there were four years ago. Back then, the democrats believed that Obama was the person who could transform the world into a better place. It was an elections with come of the highest participation rates in American history. Democrats were so excited that the organizers even had to change the venue where Obama delivered his nomination speech during the last DNC in Denver in 2008, where 75,000 people attended.

Today, excitement has cooled down a little bit among democrats as many has been disillusioned by the failure to live up to the chants of hope and change. Obama’s only option is to convince the skeptics that a second term in office it is necessary in order to realize the “hopes” and accomplish the “changes.”

Last week during the Republican National Convention in Tampa, FL, Romney accused Obama for not making good on his promises. It is to be seen whether Obama will spend his time refuting Romney’s attack or explain what he is going to do during the next four years to make a successful and permanent change in the American society. Otherwise, according to last weeks’ polls, the undecided voters might go to Romney.

Even though Romney did not come up with a clear program, his attacks against this last legislature were not superficial. During the past four years, the world has seen how each of Obama´s promises have fallen into a hole: the American unemployment rate has grown into historical figures (8.2%), immigration problems have not been solved — in fact, the number of deportations keep on growing, oil dependency upon the Middle East is still an issue, there are still troops in Afghanistan, and Iran has become a bigger threat.

During Wednesday’s program at the DNC, former president Bill Clinton went through all these issues and explained that more time is needed.

But will America wait for four more years on results? Will Obama be able to get the support of this undecided voters? Will he be able to once again inspire the chants that made so many people dream of a better tomorrow four years ago? The answers to these questions might be found during tonights speech on Charlotte.

Image Courtesy of    Barack Obama

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Representatives of the DNCC, DNC and the Obama for America campaign spoke about the decision to move the last day of the Democratic National Convention to the Tima

The impressive 70,000-plus seats of Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC, will not be filled with excited supporters of the Democratic candidate for the 2012 US Elections, President Barack Obama. Instead, the highly anticipated Democratic National Convention speech will be delivered in the confinements of the Time Warner Cable Arena.

Representatives of the DNCC, DNC and the Obama for America campaign spoke about the decision to move the last day from the Stadium at today’s press briefing.

The move has proved a bit of a challenge for the organizers; a main issue being that the cut in seating space will affect the amount of people able to be in attendance. People with the ‘community credentials’ will not be able to attend the speech at the arena, but the organizers reiterated that they were much concerned with making sure no one felt left out. They expect that people who are in Charlotte will come together at public house parties at bars and restaurants, celebrating the nomination nonetheless.

It is too early to say how much the change in venue will impact the budget of the convention, but the organizers expect some expense on that behalf.

Disappointment was also expressed in having to move President Obama’s speech to the Arena, as delegates and representatives had hoped to re-create some of the excitement  from four years ago in Denver. Organizers told the media earlier today that there will not be enough time to arrange balloons under the roof for tonight’s event, but at the briefing, DNC representatives reassured that there will still be “lots of energy” and that the Presidents speech would provide enough excitement for the crowd.

The decision to move the speech indoors was taken yesterday after organizers feared that bad weather would come in the way of a smooth-running event.

What, then, can we expect to hear from Obama? Representatives said that the speech will be more about why the American people should support Obama rather than why they shouldn’t support the Republican candidate Mitt Romney.

They noted that while the Republican campaign has been much about re-defining Romney and pointing out the faults of the last four years, the Obama campaign has not felt it needed to define what President Obama stands for.

A representative added: “Everyone who’s been out there traveling with the President, knows that he talks about a number of [...] policy issues out on the trail and we can expect to hear the same thing from him this evening.” She hopes that the undecided voters will pay attention so they can cross-check the facts and the policies and understand what President Obama stands for and where he is different.

The Obama camp is confident in the message they are delivering and the achievements they have accomplished so far. After tonight, they hope voters will be too.

Image Courtesy of  NewsHour

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Charlotte, U.S.A. — As part of our effort to make the 2012 Democratic Convention the most open and accessible convention in history, the DNCC announced on September 2, 2012, that it will provide voters from across the country a new, innovative and unique opportunity to participate in convention programming – which will include user-generated content and the ability to interact with Convention attendees.

From gavel-to-gavel, the entire Convention will be livestreamed on DemConvention.com/live and through the Democratic National Convention Committee Mobile App, connecting viewers in every corner of the country with Convention delegates and speakers in real time.

The entire program will be streamed in Spanish simultaneously.

Millions of Americans will also be participating in more than 4,000 watch parties organized already in neighborhoods across the country. Some of these watch parties will be highlighted as part of Thursday night’s programming.

These efforts make this year’s convention the first in political history to include comprehensive livestream coverage.

“We are revolutionizing the way political conventions are done by making Charlotte 2012 more open, accessible and relevant to the American people,” OFA Deputy Campaign Manager Stephanie Cutter said. “This is one more innovative and unprecedented way we are engaging every supporter in the President’s vision for moving America forward, empowering voters all over the country to get involved with what’s happening in North Carolina this week, and growing our organization at the grassroots level.”

On Thursday September 6th, the programming will also feature a web-only convention special starting at 8 p.m. ET. Hosted by actor Kal Penn, the Live from Charlotte programming will include interviews with campaign officials and special guests, including Marc Anthony, Elizabeth Banks, Aisha Tyler, Olivia Wilde, Fran Drescher, Zach Braff, and Alexis Bledel.

Later that evening, after President Obama’s address, there will be a post-speech program featuring political analysis from political leaders.

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On Tuesday at the GOP convention, the “America’s Got Talent” 2012 winner, Neal Boyd, sang Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.,” and the crowd got very excited: suddenly shouts repeating “U.S.A., U.S.A., U.S.A.,” were heard throughout the Tampa Bay Forum. Boyd made the people forget for a while all the problems the country is facing to concentrate on feeling proud of being an American. After Boyd, the serious talks about how to balance a budget and reduce the deficit continued.

Mia Love, who is running for Utah’s 4th congressional district, also spoke at the convention. She is an African American woman in an election where African Americans and female voters are not big supporters of Mitt Romney. Her task was to prove that being a female African American is compatible with being a hardcore republican.

Sher Valenzuela, small business owner and candidate for lieutenant governor in Delaware, said that 50 percent of small businesses are not hiring because of the excessive government regulations the Obama administration is giving them. She thinks that in order for small businesses to hire again, they have to get the government out of their back.

Governor John Kasich of Ohio also criticized president Obama. He mentioned his own state, Ohio, as an example of how to create jobs and balance the budget without rising taxes. He said that when he took office Ohio was 48th in the country in job creation and had an $8 billion deficit, but now Ohio is fourth in America in job creation and the first in the Midwest. Also, the budget now has a surplus rather than a deficit.

Kasich said he was able to do this by eliminating the programs that were not needed in his opinion, like nursing homes. He said grandparents are a lot happier and healthier in their homes. He also added that he cut taxes so Ohio could be competitive again. Governor Kasich also said that he believe he restored common sense in the regulations, honoring job creation rather than killing it.

Governor Bob McDonnell from Virginia also wanted to prove that Republican Governors are the ones with the solutions to balance the budget and reduce the unemployment rate. He said Republican governors lead seven out of ten states with the lowest unemployment rates and 12 out of 15 best states for doing business. McDonnell said that this proves that conservative fiscal policies do work.

Governor Mary Fallin of Oklahoma also told the story of her state to criticize President Obama; she said the country would overcome the economic problems if the federal government gets out of the way.

Fallin said that in Oklahoma the unemployment rate is 4.9%, and that Obama wants the people to believe that Oklahoma owes the success to the federal government. She on the other hand, believes Oklahoma owes its success to the state entrepreneurs and job creators. She accused President Obama of letting many Americans live with no hope and just change in their pockets; she added that Mitt Romney believes in the power of the people.

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Tampa, U.S.A. — Good evening America, and hello to the fired-up delegation from the Buckeye State right in front of me.

My name is Rob Portman and they say I was on Governor Romney’s short list of vice presidential candidates.

Apparently, it wasn’t short enough.

But it’s been a great convention and I am delighted to be here tonight to talk about the fundamental differences between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama when it comes to understanding our economy.

Let’s begin by talking about something the Democrats love to demonize - Mitt Romney’s success in the private sector. He built a company from the ground up, created lots of jobs, and yes, he made money.

He made it the old fashioned way . . . He earned it.

Then you have Barack Obama, who has never started a business—never even worked in business. And he claims those who have should give credit to the government or someone else for their success.

So, you have one candidate who understands that success comes from working hard, competing and taking risks.

And you have another candidate who believes success comes from government.

Which one do you think knows how to turn this economy around?

Which one would you choose to invest your life’s savings?

Should it be any different for safeguarding our nation’s economy?

Or let’s say you don’t have any savings. Let’s say you’re worried about how to pay September’s rent or mortgage.

Let’s say you are one of the millions of Americans out of work or the millions more who have given up looking.

You’ve gotta be running out of patience – and hope. You have to be tired, looking for a new start.

Well, you don’t have to be patient any longer. Through your vote this fall you can change the leadership of this country and the opportunities for you and your family.

America, it has been nearly four years of over eight percent unemployment – and double digit unemployment for young people, Hispanics and African-Americans.

Four years. FDR and Truman won an entire world war in four years.

America is tired of waiting.

In business, if you don’t move rapidly, you are out of business. You are finished.

We want a president who operates at business speed not government speed.

President Obama says he deserves reelection because his economic policies have worked.

NOT in this universe they haven’t.

In fact, the experts tell us that if we don’t change our policies we are going back into recession next year.

Tens of millions of Americans are not out of the last recession!

Governor Romney had a plan to build his business. He now has a detailed plan to restore our economy and strengthen the middle class.

I ask you: Where is the president’s economic plan?

Blaming others does not qualify as a plan. Now the president did submit a budget. It was so bad that not a single Republican or a single Democrat in the entire United States Congress would vote for it.

He got zero votes. That is a failure of leadership.

President Obama has been right about at least one prediction he’s made about the economy. He said, “If I don’t have this done in three years, then there’s going to be a one-term proposition.”

I think you are right about that, Mr. President.

It hasn’t worked, because you cannot spend your way, regulate your way, tax your way or blame your way out of the economic mess we are in.

You have to liberate the productive power of the American people through policies that encourage innovation, risk taking, investment and jobs.

And you have to compete and win in the global economy. Governor Romney understands this.

In contrast, President Obama is the first president in 75 years—Democrat or Republican—who hasn’t even sought the ability to negotiate export agreements and open markets overseas. Now why is this important?

Because 95 percent of the world’s consumers live outside our borders. And to create jobs, our workers and our farmers need to sell more of what we make to those people.

While this administration has been dragging its feet, other countries have been busy negotiating hundreds of new trade agreements to benefit their workers and their farmers, taking away our opportunities.

President Obama has been so driven to advance his big government ideology that he has abandoned the daily economic work that a government must do to open markets, restore business confidence and create the climate for job growth.

This is the work President Romney would begin on day one.

Take trade with China. China manipulates its currency giving it an unfair trade advantage. So why doesn’t the president do something about it?

I’ll tell you one reason – President Obama could not run up his record trillion dollar deficits if the Chinese did not buy our bonds to finance them.

We are as beholden to China for bonds as we are to the Middle East for oil.

This will end under Mitt Romney.

We need to knock down these trade barriers abroad, but we also need to knock down the self-imposed barriers to success right here at home.

We need to reform our outdated and complicated tax code. We need to fix our burdensome regulatory system and we need an energy policy that encourages development of our resources right here, in the ground, in America.

America has a choice between Mitt Romney, who seeks to grow the economy, and Barack Obamawho seeks to redistribute it.

Which one do you think will liberate America’s entrepreneurial spirit?

At the other party’s convention, you will hear the chant, “Four more years. Four more years.”

Folks – we can’t afford four more years. How about no more years?

Governor Romney chose a terrific partner in Paul Ryan of Wisconsin – Paul is a close friend with a great family and a reformer’s heart.

Vice President Biden has told people out of work to just, “hang in there.” So much for hope and change.

Paul Ryan is not asking America to continue to hang in there. He is proposing new policies that will give poor and middle class families opportunities and hope for the future.

Mitt Romney made his mark turning around businesses and solving problems.

Paul Ryan made his mark as a respected reformer focused on results.

Together they will do what President Obama has not done: They will lead in breaking through the partisan gridlock in Washington, D.C.

America, give them the chance to restore America’s economy and restore the American dream.

I have seen that dream up close. When I was a kid, my dad left his job as a salesman and started his own business selling forklift trucks. My Mom was the bookkeeper. He had to borrow money from her uncle because the bank wouldn’t give him a loan. He lost money for the first few years, but he never lost his dream.

And by the time he retired and my brother took over, the business had 200 employees – supporting 200 families in Southwest Ohio.

This is the classic American story – not of government telling us what to do – but of free men and free women willing to work hard and take a risk to build something of value for themselves, their families and their community.

About a year into the Obama Administration – I asked my dad whether he would do it again. He said, “Rob – with all the uncertainty out there today – I don’t know if I would take the risk.”

In that one sentence, he summed up what I’ve heard from hundreds of small business owners across Ohio and around this great country. They’re afraid to make the investment and jobs are the casualty.

Ladies and gentlemen, we need new leadership and new policies to bring back the dream and renew America’s promise.

No more excuses, no more blaming others, no more waiting.

We need Romney /Ryan and we need them now! And with your help, it will happen.

Thank you and God bless our great country.

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Tampa, U.S.A. — The following are remarks as prepared for delivery by the Hon. Rand Paul, U.S. Senator, Kentucky, at the 2012 Republican National Convention:

When the Supreme Court upheld Obamacare, the first words out of my mouth were: I still think it is unconstitutional!

The leftwing blogs were merciless. Even my wife said — can’t you pleeeease count to ten before you speak?

So, I’ve had time now to count to ten and, you know what? I still think it’s unconstitutional!

Do you think Justice Scalia and Justice Thomas have changed their minds?

I think if James Madison himself — the father of the Constitution — were here today he would agree with me: The whole damn thing is still unconstitutional!

This debate is not new and it’s not over. Hamilton and Madison fought from the beginning about how government would be limited by the enumerated powers.

Madison was unequivocal. The powers of the federal government are few and defined. The power to tax and spend is restricted by the enumerated powers.

So, how do we fix this travesty of justice? There’s only one option left.

We have to have a new president!

When I heard the current president say, “You didn’t build that,” I was first insulted, then I was angered, then I was saddened that anyone in our country, much less the president of the United States, believes that roads create business success and not the other way around.

Anyone who so fundamentally misunderstands American greatness is uniquely unqualified to lead this great nation.

The great and abiding lesson of American history, particularly the Cold War, is that the engine of capitalism — the individual — is mightier than any collective.

American inventiveness and desire to build developed because we were guaranteed the right to own our success. For most of our history, no one dared tell Americans: “You didn’t build that.”

In Bowling Green, Kentucky, the Taing family owns the Great American Donut shop. Their family fled war-torn Cambodia to come to this country. My kids and I love to eat doughnuts, so we go there frequently.

The Taings work long hours. Mrs. Taing told us that the family works through the night to make doughnuts. The Taing children have become valedictorians and National Merit Scholars.

The Taings from Cambodia are an American success story so, Mr. President, don’t you go telling the Taings: “You didn’t build that.”

When you say they didn’t build it, you insult each and every American who ever got up at the crack of dawn. You insult any American who ever put on overalls or a suit.

You insult any American who ever studied late into the night to become a doctor or a lawyer. You insult the dishwasher, the cook, the waitress.

You insult anyone who has ever dragged themselves out of bed to strive for something better for themselves or their children.

My great grandfather, like many, came to this country in search of the American Dream. No sooner had he stepped off the boat than his father died.

He arrived in Pittsburgh as a teenager with nothing, not a penny. He found the American Dream: not great wealth, but a bit of property in a new land that gave him hope for his children.

In America, as opposed to the old country, success was based on merit. Probably America’s greatest asset was that for the first time success was not based on who you were, but on what you did.

My grandfather would live to see his children become doctors, ministers, accountants and professors. He would even live to see one of his sons, a certain congressman from Texas, run for president of the United States of America.

Immigrants have flocked to our shores seeking freedom. Our forbearers came full of hopes and dreams. So consistent and prevalent were these aspirations that they crystallized into a national yearning we call the American Dream.

No other country has a Dream so inextricably associated with the spirit of its people.

In 1982, an American sailor, John Mooney, wrote a letter to his parents that captures the essence of the American Dream:

“Dear Mom and Dad, today we spotted a boat in the water, and we rendered assistance. We picked up 65 Vietnamese refugees.  As they approached the ship, they were all waving and trying as best they could to say, ‘Hello America sailor! Hello Freedom man!’ It’s hard to see a boat full of people like that and not get a lump somewhere between chin and bellybutton. And it really makes one proud and glad to be an American. It reminds us all of what America has always been — a place a man or woman can come to for freedom.”

Hung and Thuan Tringh are brothers and friends of mine. They came to America on one of those leaky, overcrowded boats. They were attacked at sea by pirates. Their family’s wealth was stolen. Thuan spent a year on a South Pacific island existing on one cup of rice and water each day until he was allowed to come to America. Now both of these men and their families are proud Americans. Hung owns his own business and Thuan manages a large company. They are the American Dream.

So, Mr. President, don’t go telling the Tringh family: “You didn’t build that.”

When the president says, “You didn’t build that,” he is flat out wrong. Businessmen and women did build that. Businessmen and women did earn their success. Without the success of American business, we wouldn’t have any roads, or bridges, or schools.

Mr. President, you say the rich must pay their fair share. When you seek to punish the rich, the jobs that are lost are those of the poor and middle class.

When you seek to punish Mr. Exxon Mobil, you punish the secretary who owns Exxon Mobil stock.

When you block the Keystone Pipeline, you punish the welder who works on the pipeline.

Our nation faces a crisis. America wavers. Unfortunately, we are one of a select group of countries whose debt equals their gross domestic product.

The republic of Washington and Jefferson is now in danger of becoming the democracy of debt and despair. Our great nation is coming apart at the seams and the president seems to point fingers and blame others.

President Obama’s administration will add nearly $6 trillion to our national debt in just one term.

This explosion of debt is unconscionable and unsustainable. Mr. President, we will not let you bankrupt this great nation!

Republicans and Democrats alike must slay their sacred cows. Republicans must acknowledge that not every dollar spent on the military is necessary or well-spent, and Democrats must admit that domestic welfare and entitlements must be reformed.

Republicans and Democrats must replace fear with confidence, confidence that no terrorist, and no country, will ever conquer us if we remain steadfast to the principles of our Founding documents.

We have nothing to fear except our own unwillingness to defend what is naturally ours, our God-given rights. We have nothing to fear that should cause us to forget or relinquish our rights as free men and women.

To thrive we must believe in ourselves again, and we must never — never — trade our liberty for any fleeting promise of security.

Author Paul Kengor writes of a brisk evening in small-town Illinois. Returning home from a basketball game at the YMCA, an 11 year old boy is stunned by the sight of his father sprawled out in the snow on the front porch. “He was drunk,” his son later remembered. “Dead to the world, crucified.” The dad’s hair was soaked with melted snow, matted unevenly against the side of his reddened face.

The boy stood over his father for a minute or two. He simply wanted to let himself in the door and pretend his dad wasn’t there. Instead, he grabbed a fistful of overcoat and heaved his dad to the bedroom, away from the weather’s harm and neighbors’ attention.

This young boy became the man – Ronald Reagan – whose sunny optimism and charisma shined so brightly that it cured the malaise of the late seventies, a confidence that beamed so broadly that it pulled us through a serious recession, and a faith that tugged so happily at all hearts that a generation of Democrats became Republicans.

The American Dream is that any among us could become the next Thomas Edison, the next Henry Ford, the next Ronald Reagan.

To lead us forward, away from the looming debt crisis, it will take someone who believes in America’s greatness, who believes in and can articulate the American dream, someone who has created jobs, someone who understands and appreciates what makes America great, someone who will lead our party and our nation forward.

I believe that someone is our nominee: Governor Mitt Romney.

As Reagan said, our freedom is never more than a generation away from extinction. If our freedom is taken, the American Dream will wither and die.

To lead, we must transform the coldness of austerity into the warm, vibrant embrace of prosperity.

To overcome the current crisis, we must appreciate and applaud American success. We must step forward, unabashedly and proclaim: You did build that. You earned that. You worked hard. You studied. You labored. You did build that. And you deserve America’s undying gratitude. For you, the individual, are the engine of America’s greatness.

Thank you.

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Tampa, U.S.A. — While we gather here tonight for the second night of the GOP Convention in Tampa, we’d like to pause to acknowledge those along the Gulf Coast impacted by Hurricane Isaac.

While it’s now been downgraded to a tropical storm, our hearts and our prayers remain with them.

And we pledge to help them recover and rebuild.

Tonight we have a terrific line-up for you. Our theme tonight is, “We can change it.”

We have heard of the challenges America is facing; now let’s talk about the solutions.

Those of you here in the convention, and those of you watching at home, know what needs to be done:

–We need to create more jobs and get our economy moving again.

–We need to make college affordable and within the reach of every child. I was the first in my family to graduate from college, so I know how important that is to the American Dream.

–We need a government that works for us, not against us, and lives within its means (just like you and I do).

–We also need a president who shares these ideas and values.

Our current president has a different philosophy.

For every problem, he has the same solution: more taxes, more spending and more government.

We know how those policies have turned out: more unemployment, more poverty, and more debt.

Friends, we know we can do better – we can change it. And tonight’s program is filled with people who will tell us how.

Senator John Thune will talk to us about how small businesses – like the one I ran with my family inWashington state – are the fuel our economy needs.

Senator Rob Portman will talk to us about the vital role of international trade in jump-starting our economy.

Governor Tim Pawlenty will share with us why he believes Mitt Romney is the man who can get the job done.

We’re so pleased that Mike Huckabee will be with us. We look forward to hearing his candid assessments as one of America’s favorite former governors.

And former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will talk about America’s role on the world stage – and how our current economic situation impacts our ability to lead.

New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez will talk about how she became the first female Hispanic governor in American history – and how she hopes to break down barriers for other young women.

And finally, our keynote speaker is a man with the courage of his convictions, who is not afraid to tackle the tough questions facing our country, the next vice president of the United States, Paul Ryan.

So let’s start by talking about one of the first things that will change under Mitt Romney – Obamacare. Join me in welcoming Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens.

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Tampa, U.S.A. – It’s an honor, as always, my fellow Republicans, to join you at our national convention, and add my voice to yours as we nominate the next president of the United States, my friend, Governor Mitt Romney.

I had hopes once of addressing you under different circumstances. But our fellow Americans had another plan four years ago, and I accept their decision.

I’ve been blessed for so long to play a role in our nation’s affairs that I’m conscious only of the debt I owe America, and I thank you for the honor.

When we nominate Mitt Romney, we do so with a greater purpose than winning an advantage for our party.

We charge him with the care of a higher cause. His election represents our best hopes for our country and the world.

It is said this election will turn on domestic and economic issues. But what Mitt Romney knows, and what we know, is that our success at home also depends on our leadership in the world.

It is our willingness to shape world events for the better that has kept us safe, increased our prosperity, preserved our liberty and transformed human history.

At our best, America has led.

We have led by our example, as a shining city on a hill. We have led at the direction of patriots from both parties.

We have led, shoulder to shoulder, with steadfast friends and allies. We have led by giving voice to the voiceless, insisting that every human life has dignity and aiding those brave souls who risk everything to secure the inalienable rights that are endowed to all by our Creator.

We have led with generous hearts, moved by an abiding love of justice, to help others eradicate disease, lift themselves from poverty, live under laws of their own making and determine their own destinies.

We have led, when necessary, with the armed might of freedom’s defenders.

And always we have led from the front, never from behind.

This is what makes America an exceptional nation: It is not just a matter of who we are, it is the record of what we have done.

It is the responsibility that generation after generation of Americans has affirmed and carried forward.

It is the cause that many Americans have sacrificed everything — absolutely everything — to defend.

And when they have gone into battle, as they do today, they have done so with the conviction that the country that sent them there is worth their sacrifice, that it stands for something more than the sum of our individual interests.

May God bless all who have served, and all who serve today, as He has blessed us with their service.

We are now being tested by an array of threats that are more complex, more numerous and just as deadly as any I can recall in my lifetime. We face a consequential choice — and make no mistake, it is a choice.

We can choose to follow a declining path, toward a future that is dimmer and more dangerous than our past.

Or we can choose to reform our failing government, revitalize our ailing economy and renew the foundations of our power and leadership in the world.

That is what’s at stake in this election.

Unfortunately, for four years, we’ve drifted away from our proudest traditions of global leadership — traditions that are truly bipartisan. We’ve let the challenges we face, both at home and abroad, become harder to solve.

We can’t afford to stay on that course any longer.

We can’t afford to cause our friends and allies — from Latin America to Asia, Europe to the Middle East, and especially in Israel, a nation under existential threat — to doubt America’s leadership.

We can’t afford to give governments in Russia and China a veto over how we defend our interests and the progress of our values in the world.

We can’t afford to have the security of our nation and those who bravely defend it endangered because their government leaks the secrets of their heroic operations to the media.

I believe we can’t afford to substitute a political timetable for a military strategy.

By committing to withdraw from Afghanistan before peace can be achieved and sustained, the president has discouraged our friends and emboldened our enemies, which is why our commanders did not recommend that decision and why they have said it puts our mission at greater risk.

We can’t afford another $500 billion in cuts to our defense budget — on top of the nearly $500 billionin cuts that the president is already making. His own secretary of defense has said that cutting our military by nearly $1 trillion would be “devastating.”

And yet, the president is playing no leadership role in preventing this crippling blow to our military.

A wise congressman from Wisconsin has said, “Our fiscal policy and our foreign policy are on a collision course.” And that man is our next vice president, Paul Ryan.

But most of all, we can’t afford to abandon the cause of human freedom. When long-suffering peoples demand liberation from their jailers and torturers and tyrants, the leader of the free world must stand with them.

Unfortunately, this is not happening.

When Iranians rose up by the millions against their oppressive rulers, when they beseeched our president, chanting in English, “Are you with us, or are you with them?”, when the entire world watched as a brave young woman named Neda was shot and bled to death in a street in Tehran.

The president missed a historic opportunity to throw America’s full moral support behind an Iranian revolution that shared one of our highest interests: ridding Iran of a brutal dictatorship that terrorizes the Middle East and threatens the world.

The situation is far worse in Syria. What began as peaceful protests has now become, 18 months later, a savage and unfair fight.

With the full backing of Iran, and Hezbollah, and Russia—with tanks, and helicopters, and fighter jets,Bashir Assad is murdering men, women and children.

More than 20,000 people have perished. Extremists are gaining ground. And the conflict is becoming more dangerous by the day for our allies, and for us.

In other times, when other courageous people fought for their freedom against sworn enemies of the United States, American presidents — both Republicans and Democrats — have acted to help them prevail.

Sadly, for the lonely voices of dissent in Syria, and Iran, and elsewhere, who feel forgotten in their darkness, and sadly for us, as well, our president is not being true to our values.

For the sake of the cause of freedom, for the sake of people who are willing to give their lives so their fellow citizens can determine their own futures and for the sake of our nation — the nation founded on the idea that all people, everywhere, have the right to freedom and justice — we must return to our best traditions of American leadership, and support those who face down the brutal tyranny of their oppressors and our enemies.

Across the world, people are seizing control of their own destinies. They are liberating themselves from oppressive rulers. And they want America’s support.

They want America’s assistance as they struggle to live in peace and security, to expand opportunity for themselves and their children, to replace the injustices of despots with the institutions of democracy and freedom.

America must be on the right side of history.

The demand for our leadership in the world has never been greater. People don’t want less of America.

They want more.

Everywhere I go in the world, people tell me they still have faith in America.

What they want to know is whether we still have faith in ourselves.

I trust that Mitt Romney has that faith, and I trust him to lead us.

I trust him to affirm our nation’s exceptional character and responsibilities.

I trust him to know that our security and economic interests are inextricably tied to the progress of our values.

I trust him to know that if America doesn’t lead, our adversaries will, and the world will grow darker, poorer and much more dangerous.

I trust him to know that an American president always, always, always stands up for the rights, and freedoms, and justice of all people.

I trust Mitt Romney to know that good can triumph over evil, that justice can vanquish tyranny, that love can conquer hate, that the desire for freedom is eternal and universal, and that America is still the best hope of mankind.

And now, my fellow Americans: Let’s elect our next commander-in-chief, and the next leader of the free world, my friend, Governor Mitt Romney.

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The big issues of the coming campaign are not in question. The economy, America’s growing debt, unemployment, and the role of entitlements (read: government) in Americans lives are crux of the 2012 battle for the White House. Highlighting the negative results in these areas is Mitt Romney, best hand for winning the election.

Nonetheless, foreign policy issues and threats are looming above America’s head in a big way, and will need to be addressed. The conventional wisdom is that Romney has little foreign policy and relations experience. President Obama’s own lack of experience in this area notwithstanding, his campaign zeroed in on this one reason that Romney is not the right man for job.

Governor and Romney advisor Tim Pawlenty addressed this viewpoint and other foreign policy concerns today in a symposium held by the Foreign Policy Initiative. Moderated by board member and Fox news analyst Bill Kristal, the event gave Pawlenty a forum to address how a Romney Presidency would look like in the area of foreign relations. The big take away from the event was Pawlenty’s view that Romney is on the right track.

“Romney has the right foundational and directional philosophy to make the correct decisions.” Pawlenty followed this up by reminding everyone in attendance that Reagan did not have extensive foreign policy experience. His worldview is what allowed him to be an effective foreign policy President.

Channeling Reagan is something that most, if not all, republicans attempt to do. It does not matter whether it is taxes, the economy, or dealing with America’s challenges abroad. Still, there is a large grain of truth to his statement. Governors of either party seldom have extensive foreign policy and relations experience. Their duties at times lightly touch the area, but their primary function is running their states. The lack of experience has to be made up with study and experienced, sound advisors.

Underlying it all, however, is the philosophy of the person in charge. The President can have a mindset like Carter or Winston Churchill. How he views Americas role and his mindset sets the agenda for who he has as advisers, what diplomacy targets he set, and what he will do and not do with America’s armed forces.

Pawlenty was critical of the philosophy President Obama has taken. “President Obama has decided to lead from behind. To have America take a less active role as leader in the world. That has not worked out well.” Examples given of this view were the “reset with Russia,” as the President calls it, and the missed opportunity in the Iranian uprising.

The financial challenges the country faces are grave, but the potential threats of Iran, Russia, and China are like a Damocles sword above the neck of Uncle Sam. Romney cannot afford to let the view of the President set America’s view of him in this area. The knowledge and philosophy that Pawlenty speaks of must be in full view to the American public. Foreign policy may not be issue one this election cycle, but it still cannot be allowed to be ignored.

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Thursday night, the Republican Convention culminated with the much anticipated acceptance speech of Mitt Romney. His speech will be dissected backwards and forwards. The plan he laid out will be analyzed and fact checked. The attacks on the President will be evaluated for their impact and truth. All of these items will happen over the course of the next week. But the thing many will be talking about more is the speech made by American Icon Clint Eastwood.

In a surprise visit, Eastwood stepped to the stage to a rousing standing ovation. What followed was an explosion of real time panning and praise across the social media universe. Traditional media and pundits soon followed suit after Romney completed his speech. If you are a Conservative partisan, then you found the speech funny, and a breath of fresh air from a Hollywood actor. Liberals and Obama supporters found it offensive, and rambling. The truth is somewhere in between.

In deference to the Eastwood here is the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (in reverse).

The Ugly

All actors share one trait that is maddening to groups that have them speak or support their causes: they cannot be controlled. Eastwood was scheduled for a five minute, scripted speech. He went over time and off script. He added an off color joke about an imaginary President Obama telling him (Eastwood) to tell Romney to “go do something he can’t do to himself.” The remark was NOT appreciated by the Romney camp. We are, after all, talking about a Presidential candidate for whom saying the word “hell” is noteworthy. It is not something that anyone would have signed off on. But what is there to do, walk him off the stage like they do at the Oscars? Once Eastwood is on stage, you just have to accept whatever happens next.

There is wide acceptance among the political class that President Obama has a disdain for Romney. There is little doubt, however, that he would not actually ask Romney a question or make a comment about Romney in that manner. He is not Rahm Emmanuel, after all.

The Bad

The schtick Eastwood used regarding interviewing the President, but having an empty seat, has been mocked across Hollywood. Roger Ebert remarked, “Clint, my hero, is coming across as sad and pathetic.” Fellow film critic Richard Roeper tweeted, “Clint has now eclipsed the total word count of his last three films.” Star Jones had this too say, ”I can’t believe I just watched Clint Eastwood turn into somebody’s DRUNK UNCLE HARRY on the stage of the GOP RNC. He humiliated himself.”

What is interesting here is that even the film critics do not have a sense of entertainment history. The empty chair technique is an old comedic routine. Clint was around when it was used, but his age may have something to do why he performed it so haltingly. It did not translate, and probably would not have if he had delivered it in a smooth manner.

At 82, there is a legitimate question as to whether Eastwood is mentally agile enough for what he was attempting. As it turned out, all it did was take attention from Romney’s speech. It won’t matter in the grand scheme of things, but in a campaign where the President is searching for distractions, no one on the conservative side should be providing them. 

The Good

Lost in the reaction to the off-color jokes, and a comedic routine that failed because of how it was delivered, is the substance of what Eastwood said.

Liberals are quick to ignore this, because in their world you do not criticize Democrats, and not this President. It is disrespectful, it is wrong, and to many it is racist. It is not surprising they ignore the numerous jokes and just plain nasty remarks (Bill Maher) made toward republicans.

To them it is fair game: it is just jokes, it is free speech. In reality it is evidence of how thin skinned liberals really are. When they make fun of you, you should be able to take a joke. Make fun of them, and you’re crazy, kookie, or a bad person.

Clint made the very real analogy that when you have someone that is not doing the job, you have to let them go. You just do not tell Obama he should be fired or replaced in the liberal world. It is nuts to point out that he, and all politicians work for us. It is just not done to point out the pain of 23 million people out of work.

On substance Eastwood was as on target as any of the gun toting heroes he played in those old spaghetti westerns.  

Image Courtesy of  Randy Miramontez / Shutterstock.com

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Tampa, U.S.A. – As a proud American serving the nearly 4 million American citizens of Puerto Rico, I am honored to be with you tonight.

We gather to celebrate the hopes and dreams of every American. We all believe in the greatness of this nation, and this greatness lies within each of us.

Hard-working Americans are fighting every day to provide for themselves and their families, and to leave a more prosperous country for the next generation.

That’s true here in Florida, it’s true in Puerto Rico, and it’s true throughout this great land of ours.

But, as families have tightened their budgets, Washington continues its wasteful spending.

Unless we elect leaders who take responsibility now, our children and theirs will pay for it later.

You and I know there is a better way, and like many conservative governors around the country, we are proving it.

When I took office, I inherited a $3.3 billion budget deficit, per person the largest anywhere in the nation.

We couldn’t even meet our payroll. We were on the brink of bankruptcy.

But we did not shy away from our responsibility to lead.

We cut government expenses by almost 20 percent, starting with my own salary.

We reduced our deficit 90 percent, while continuing to invest in our schools, hospitals, and highways.

At the same time, we slashed taxes 50 percent on individuals and 30 percent on businesses, the largest tax cuts in Puerto Rico’s history.

And our private sector – the real economy – began to create jobs again.

Imagine if we had national policies that support rather than prevent growth! We’d then be able to truly unleash the engine of prosperity that our country and our people deserve.

That’s what Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan will do for America. They understand that each community’s challenges are unique, but the answers are the same.

Our families cannot grow their budgets if politicians keep growing Washington’s budget.

Get government out of our way, and let freedom and the spirit of the American people shine through.

We can out-think, out-dream, out-work, and out-produce anybody in the world.

I know it, you know it, and Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan know it.

They have a plan and a vision that places our faith in you, the American people, not in Washington.

Ask any small-business owner in America today — from the dairy farmer in Appleton, Wisconsin, to the bodega owner in Kissimmee, Florida: they want to grow, to produce and to hire.

But they’re concerned, worried that Washington will continue to punish them with more taxes, more red tape, and more government control.

Give them the freedom to grow, and you’ll see how many jobs they create!

I like to talk a lot about freedom, because freedom is the essence of who we are as Americans.

Over 200,000 Puerto Ricans have served in uniform to defend our nation and the freedom we hold so dear.
Like in your home states, we raise and salute the American flag.

Just like our fellow citizens in Florida or Virginia, we share the same undying spirit that all Americans have.
Allow me to share an example of that spirit.

I visited a soldier from Puerto Rico at Walter Reed Army Medical Center several years ago.

This young man had bravely served in combat and was given little chance to live.

Without knowing if he could hear me, in every visit, I would whisper into his ear.

I would tell him how proud and thankful we were for his dedication and sacrifice, adding, no te rindas: don’t give up.

Months later, after his miraculous recovery, I had the honor of awarding him the Purple Heart.

He never gave up.

For him, and for every American in uniform, we will never give up.

For every mother who struggles, saves, and sacrifices so her children will have greater opportunities, we will never give up.

For every small-business owner who builds it to make a better life, we will never give up.

For Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, who know what it takes to put America back to work and back on track, we will never give up.

And for the values that make America great: the justice that is our right, the freedom to unleash the greatness within each of us, and the liberty that God endowed every American.

For that, I will never give up, you will never give up, we will never give up!

God Bless you, and God bless the United States of America!

And muchas gracias, thank you, Puerto Rico – I’ll be home tomorrow!

Image Courtesy of  Gage Skidmore

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Tampa, U.S.A. — Thank you. Thank you very much. Good evening everyone, and welcome to Barack Obama’s retirement party!

Four years ago, we came together for this convention back in my home state of Minnesota, and a lot’s happened since then.

We’ve had four years of Barack Obama in the White House.

Ah, the Obama White House, one bad decision follows another. Hard to say exactly just what his worst mistake has been. There’s so many to choose from: The stimulus. His energy policy. Obamacare. Taxes. Joe Biden.

I hear Joe’s particularly interested in tonight’s proceedings. He even thought about coming here toTampa. And he’s taking notes because when Paul Ryan speaks, Joe will finally get to hear what a real vice president sounds like!

But you know, President Obama isn’t as bad as people say, he’s actually worse.

The president takes more vacations than that guy on the Bizarre Foods show.

And I’ll give Barack Obama credit for creating jobs these last four years for golf caddies.

Actually, Barack Obama is the first president to create more excuses than jobs! In his view, it’s George’s fault. It’s the bank’s fault. It’s Europe’s fault. It’s the weather’s fault. It’s Congress’ fault. Mr. President, if you want to find fault, I suggest you look in the mirror!

I’ve come to realize that Barack Obama is the tattoo president. Like a big tattoo, it seemed cool when you were young.

But later on, that decision doesn’t look so good, and you wonder: what was I thinking?

But the worst part is you’re still going to have to explain it to your kids.

Next week, Barack Obama will plead with America to give his failed ideas another chance. He’s asking Americans to give him more time and more money.

Well sorry, Mr. President, but you’re out of time, and we’re out of money.

Barack Obama’s failed us. But look, it’s understandable. A lot of people fail at their first job.

Now, our opponents claim to be the party of the middle class. But Democrats don’t understand this fundamental point: it’s really hard for people to be part of the middle class if they don’t have a job!

I know a bit about these things. I grew up in a meatpacking town.

For much of his life, my dad was a truck driver. My mom was a homemaker. She died when I was 16, and my dad lost his job not long after that. And I was the only one of the five kids in our family who had a chance to go to college.

When I traveled the country these past few years, I met Americans from all different walks of life.

If you ask middle-class Americans about their hopes and dreams, they’ll share their heart, but also their concerns.

Can they pay the mortgage? Will they have enough money to buy groceries, or gas for the car? Will they be able to get their kids into college or pay the tuition?

But jobs don’t come from politicians. They come from entrepreneurs, inventors, innovators and risk-takers.

America’s entrepreneurs know taxes are too high, and regulations are too costly and complex. Obamacare frightens them. And they want more American energy.

And they’re collectively making one common plea. They’re saying: I want to grow my business and employ people, but they’re also saying this: Just get the government off my back!

We need to let them know help’s on the way, and help’s name is Mitt Romney.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have the best candidate. This isn’t his first job, or the first time he’s been a leader who has produced results.

He made a success of failing companies. He made a success of the Olympics. He even made government in Massachusetts more effective and efficient.

And now he’s ready to help get America back on track and Americans back to work. He has a plan to strengthen and grow America’s middle class with lower taxes; a government that works for the American people instead of dashing their hopes and dreams; lower energy prices; and greater access to a quality education for all.

There’s one other thing I want to leave you with tonight. It’s important for America to know that Mitt Romney is not only a great leader, he’s also a remarkable person. He’s smart, gracious and wise. And he has this infectious good cheer about him – something I appreciate and something America needs.

Mitt Romney never quits moving. When he sees a problem, he goes after it and finds the solution.

It’s that can-do spirit, combined with a lifetime of service and success that convinced me to support him. And it’s that can-do spirit that we need in the White House, leading America now.

As a former governor, I know that leadership takes optimism, but not blind optimism.

We need a leader who understands the depth of our challenges, but who also doesn’t shy away from them.

Mitt Romney knows what our problems are, and he has the tools, the experience, the energy and the right polices to fix them.

After four years of this president, we need Mitt Romney now, more than ever.

I’m proud to be supporting him for president of the United States, and I know you are too.

And with any luck, in a few months, Barack Obama will at last get some experience in the private sector.

Thank you. God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.

Image Courtesy of  Gage Skidmore

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Tampa, U.S.A. — The following are remarks as prepared for delivery by the Hon. John Thune, U.S. Senator, South Dakota, at the 2012 Republican National Convention:

Good evening, fellow Republicans.

It’s no secret that I’m a sports fan. In fact, I get asked all the time if I’ve ever played basketball with President Obama. The answer is “no,” I’m still waiting for that invitation.

The next question is, “Do you think you could take him one-on-one?” I say, “I really don’t know, I’ve never seen him play.”

But I can tell you this. President Obama would be easy to defend, because you know he’s always going to go to his left.

Like many Americans, I’ve been blessed by the hard work and sacrifice of those who’ve come before.

Back in 1906, two Norwegian brothers named Nicolai and Matthew Gjelsvik came to this country in search of the American Dream. When they reached the shores of America, the only English words they knew were “apple pie” and “coffee,” which evidently they had plenty of on the trip over.

The immigration officials at Ellis Island determined that their name “Gjelsvik” – G-J-E-L-S-V-I-K – was too difficult to spell and pronounce, so they asked them to change it. The two brothers picked the name of the farm where they worked in Norway, which was called the Thune Farm. And so Nicolai Gjelsvik became Nick Thune, my grandfather.

With their new country and their new name, the two brothers began their new life by working on the railroad. They learned English and saved enough money to start a small hardware store.

And yes, Mr. President, they did build it!

My grandfather raised three sons. The middle son, my father, joined the Navy when World War II broke out.

He became a naval aviator, flying combat missions off the aircraft carrier Intrepid in the Pacific theatre. On one mission, he shot down four enemy aircraft, for which he received the Distinguished Flying Cross.

After the war, my dad quietly returned to South Dakota, his hardware store and his family.

Many versions of that story are told across this country. The details may be different – but the dream is the same.

I hate to say it, but that dream is in serious jeopardy. We have a sluggish economy, burdened by Obama administration policies that are weighing down our job creators. Middle-class Americans, in cities and on farms, are bearing the brunt.

The big-government bureaucrats of the Obama administration have set their sights on our way of life. Instead of preserving family farms and ranches, President Obama’s policies are effectively regulating them out of business.

His administration even proposed banning farm kids from doing basic chores!

Since President Obama took office, we’ve had 42 consecutive months of unemployment above 8 percent – the longest streak on record.

The cost of family health insurance premiums has risen by nearly 19 percent, college tuition has increased by 25 percent and fuel costs have doubled.

The number of people on food stamps has increased by 45 percent, and the debt we’re piling on the backs of our children and grandchildren has gone up by 50 percent. Yet for all President Obama’s talk about the middle class, middle-class incomes are down.

Folks, we won’t be in this situation with Mitt Romney in the White House. He understands what it takes for businesses large and small to thrive.

This knowledge doesn’t come from a textbook (although he’s read plenty of those). It comes from decades of rolling up his sleeves and getting the job done.

It comes from recognizing the strengths and contributions of every individual. His experience tells him that the most valuable insight can be gained – not by lecturing – but by listening.

And when he does use his presidential bully pulpit, it will be to champion the cause of small business and make it clear to all companies that it is safe to hire again.

On Day One of Mitt Romney’s presidency, the transformation of Washington will begin. Gone will be the arrogance of a president whose first instinct is to condemn achievement.

Gone will be the attitude that government knows best and solves all.

What you will see and hear is a president who will do everything in his power to make sure government is a catalyst for growth, not an obstacle to success. And, a president with a plan to strengthen the middle class.

May it never be said of us that when confronted with the economic peril before us, we averted our eyes, turned away and did nothing.

Our children’s future depends on our willingness to act and our decision to elect Mitt Romneypresident of the United States.

May God continue to bless the United States of America.

Image Courtesy of  Gage Skidmore

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The Foreign Policy Initiative organized an event called “Peace Through Strength: Restoring American Leadership in the World.” Toonari Post representatives Kiara Ashanti and I had the opportunity to assist as media during our time at the Republican National Convention.

Tim Pawlenty, former governor of Minnesota and candidate for president in the Republican primaries, was the main speaker. William Kristol, one the main political analysts in the nation, was the moderator.

Pawlenty said that there is a big difference in the Romney and Obama plan to ensure national security, although some liberal media have said they are basically the same. The former governor said Romney had plans to restore the United States’ global leadership role, which has been lost under Obama´s administration.

Pawlenty said that although many think Ryan and Romney have no experience in national security and foreign policy issues, they would definitely choose the best people to get the job done. Pawlenty reminded the audience that before Reagan became president, many doubted his credentials, but Reagan became one the best leaders the country has ever had.

Romney is a man who has studied history and knows how the world is, Pawlenty explained, so he has no doubt that if the United States is threatened Romney would not only have a philosophical reaction, he would have a concrete reaction to stop the threat.

The main speaker also criticized President Obama for taking money out of the Defense budget. He said that if Romney wins, rather than taking money out of the Defense budget, the budget would be increased, to increase the size of the Air Force and the Navy.

If Romney wins, his first priorities would be Iran, Syria and North Korea. Pawlenty explained that Iran has threatened a United States ally, Israel, and that the government should not let that happen. He also warned that if Iran has a nuclear weapon, the United States would respond.

According to Pawlenty, it does not matter if their national security plans are popular around the world, what really matters is if the country is safe, and under Mitt Romney the country would be safe.

Pawlenty also said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is a tyrant that is murdering his own people and that he should be removed from office. He criticized that President Obama has not supported the Syrian rebels who are trying to take Assad out of power. He said the Russians, who, along with China, vetoed a UN intervention in Syria, are supporting Assad´s army with guns and training, and the United States is not doing that for the rebels.

Pawlenty assured that under Mitt Romney, the United States would definitely support its allies in need and would assume the role as the leader of the free world.

Image Courtesy of  Gage Skidmore

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Tampa, U.S.A. — I was so very honored to be asked to address one of this week’s themes, “We can do better.”

Then, I heard some folks backstage say that after hearing me speak, the delegates will say, “We sure can do better than Huckabee” and will nominate Mitt Romney to be the next President of the United States.

Tampa has been such a wonderful and hospitable city to us. The only hitch in an otherwise perfect week was the awful noise coming from the hotel room next door to mine. Turns out it was justDebbie Wasserman
Schultz practicing her speech for the DNC in Charlotte next week. Bless her heart.

Four years ago, Mitt Romney and I were opponents. We still are, but we’re not opposing each other.

We are mutual opponents of the miserably failed experiments that have put this country in a downward spiral.

Our country was in its origin an experiment, but an experiment in recognizing God-given individual liberty and creating a government in which no one is deemed better than another and all of us are equal.

Not equal in abilities, but in intrinsic worth and value. It is the essence of not just who we are, but what we are.

To those who question how once rivals can now be united, it’s simple – we have Barack Obama to thank.

He said, “You didn’t build it.”

Translation: “It doesn’t rightly belong to you!”

No small differences among us in our party approximate the vast differences between the liberty-limiting, radical left-wing, anti-business, reckless-spending, tax-hiking party of Barack Obama, Harry Reid, and Nancy Pelosi, versus an energized America who knows that we can do better.

For four years, we’ve given a chance to a man with very limited experience in governing, no experience in business whatsoever, and since taking office, mostly an interest in campaigning, blaming, and aiming excuses at his predecessor, the Republicans, and people in business, or as Republicans like to call them, employers.

We’ve stagnated into an economy that has taken all that hope “down the slope” and left millions without jobs, forced out of their homes by foreclosure, and herded into dependency upon a government that promises us candy and gives us cavities.

Barack Obama seems intent on enrolling more people on food stamps. Mitt Romney’s focus will be on generating more jobs that would make food stamps unnecessary for them.

We know full well that we can do better.

Mitt Romney turned around companies that were on the skids; turned around a scandal ridden Olympics that was deep in the red into a high point of profitable and patriotic pride; and turned around a very liberal state by erasing a deficit and replacing it with a surplus.

Barack Obama said if he couldn’t turn things around in three years, it would be a one-term proposition. It’s been almost four … let’s make him a proposition he can’t refuse.
Let’s vote him out!

The job of President is admittedly tougher than running a company, Olympic contest, or a commonwealth, but when one sees what even Bill Clinton noted was a sterling record of problem-solving that has marked the life of Mitt Romney, we are confident we WILL do better.

Mitt has been loyal to his wife, his sons, his country, his employees, and his church.

I’m sure the press will tell you he isn’t perfect.

But for the past four years, we’ve tried the one the press thought was perfect, and that hasn’t worked out so well for us.

We can do better!

The Founding Fathers of our great nation left taxation and tyranny seeking religious liberty and a society of meritocracy rather than aristocracy. They created a bold experiment in government, believing God gave us unalienable rights, and government’s role is simply to make sure they are protected.

So fearful were they that government would grow beyond their intention that even after crafting our magnificent Constitution, they said, “We can do even better.” They added amendments that we call the Bill of Rights that limit what the government can do and guarantee what “We the people” have the unimpeded right to do – whether to speak, assemble, worship, pray, publish, or even refuse intrusions into our homes.

Many of them died to pass on that heritage. They had lived under the boot of big government and said, “We can do better.”

As a kid growing up in a household with a dad who never finished high school and a family in which no male upstream from me had ever finished high school, much less gone to college, I was taught that there was nothing I could do about what was behind me, but could change everything about what was in front of me.

My working-poor parents told me I could do better. They taught me that I was as good as anyone else. It never occurred to them to tell me that I could rest comfortably and wait for Uncle Sugar to feed me, lead me, and then bleed me.

They told me to get off my backside, work hard, take risks, and treat people honestly and honorably. And look what’s happened – I have become as the press label me, “a failed candidate.”

It’s true; I have fallen from the high perch of politics and now wallow in the mud of the media, but I still know that as a country, we can do better, and with Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, we will.

Let me clear the air about whether guys like me would only support an evangelical. Of the four people on the two tickets, the only self-professed evangelical is Barack Obama, and he supports changing the definition of marriage, believes that human life is disposable and expendable at any time in the womb or even beyond the womb, and tells people of faith that they must bow their knees to the god of government and violate their faith and conscience in order to comply with what he calls health care.

Friends, I know we can do better!

The attack on my Catholic brothers and sisters is an attack on me. The Democrats have brought back the old dance the “Limbo” to see how low they can go in attempting to limit our ability to practice our faith.

This isn’t a battle about contraceptives and Catholics, but of conscience and the Creator.

I care far less as to where Mitt Romney takes his family to church than I do about where he takes this country. Joe Biden said, “Show me your budget, and I’ll tell you what you value.” Well, in the Senate, Joe’s party hasn’t produced a budget in three years.

What does that say about their values?

Speaking of budgets, Joe Biden’s budget shows that while he wants to be generous with your money through higher taxes and government spending, for years he gave less than two-tenths of 1 percent of his money to charity.

He just wants you to give the government more so he and the Democrats can feel better about themselves. Mitt Romney has given over 16% of his income to his church and charity, and I’d feel better about having a leader who gives more of his own money instead of mine.

My concern is not Barack Obama’s past; my concern is for the future – not his future, but the future of my grandchildren.

And under this President, we burdened each of them with tens of thousands of dollars of debt, and a system that will collapse upon itself because he thinks we can prosper by punishing productivity and rewarding reckless irresponsibility.

The Democrats say we ought to give Barack Obama credit for trying. That sounds like the nonsense of giving every kid a trophy for showing up.

Friends, we’re talking about leading the country, not playing on a third-grade soccer team!

I realize this is the man who got a Nobel Peace Prize for what he would potentially do, but in the real world, you get the prize for producing something, not just promising it.

Sometimes, we’re so close to the picture, we can’t really see it clearly. I’ve worked with Bono for the past few years in the ONE campaign to fight AIDS and hunger and disease around the world.

He’s an Irishman and a great humanitarian who told me of his admiration for America. He said we’re more than a country; we’re an idea.

He reminded me that we are an exceptional nation with an extraordinary history who owes it to the generations coming after us to leave them an extraordinary legacy.

If we don’t change the direction of our nation now, our bequest will be nothing but an extraordinary shame.
But we can do better.

President Obama is out of gas; Americans are out of patience, and our great Republic is almost out of time. It’s time we no longer lead from behind, but get off our behinds and leave something lasting for those who come after us instead of a mountain of debt and a pile of excuses.

Tonight, it’s not because we’re Republicans; it’s because we’re Americans that we proudly stand withMitt Romney and Paul Ryan to say we will do better!

Image Courtesy of  Gage Skidmore

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Tampa, U.S.A. — The following are remarks as prepared for delivery by the Hon. Susana Martinez, Governor of New Mexico, at the 2012 Republican National Convention:

Thank you and good evening.

On behalf of the great state of New Mexico, let me express my gratitude for being invited to speak tonight.

Growing up, I never imagined a girl from a border town could one day become a governor.

But this is America

Y, en America todo es posible.

My parents taught me to never give up and to always believe that my future could be whatever I dreamt it to be.

Success, they taught me, is built on the foundation of courage, hard-work and individual responsibility.

Despite what some would have us believe, success is not built on resentment and fears.
We grew up on the border and truly lived paycheck to paycheck.  My dad was a golden gloves boxer in the Marine Corps, then a deputy sheriff. My mom worked as an office assistant.

One day, they decided to start a security guard business. I thought they were absolutely crazy—we literally had no savings, but they always believed in the American Dream.

So, my dad worked to grow the business.

My mom did the books at night.  And at 18, I guarded the parking lot at the Catholic Church bingos.

Now, my dad made sure I could take care of myself.

I carried a Smith and Wesson .357 Magnum — that gun weighed more than I did!

My parents grew that small business—from one 18-year-old guarding a bingo—to more than 125 people in three states.

And sure, there was help along the way.  But my parents took the risk. They stood up.  And you better believe that they built it.

My parents also taught me about having the courage to stand for something.  So, I went to law school and became a prosecutor.

I took on a specialty that very few choose to pursue – I prosecuted child abuse and child homicide cases.  Cases that were truly gut-wrenching.

But standing up for those kids, being their voice for justice, was the honor of a lifetime.

Sometimes you pay a price for standing up.

When I was a young prosecutor, I got called to testify against my boss. I could have backed down, but I didn’t. I stood up to him.  And he fired me for it.

So I took him on, ran against him for district attorney and beat him by a landslide!

I fear some of our leaders today have lost the courage to stand up.

What we have now are politicians.  They won’t offer real plans, and only stand up when they want to blame someone else.

And I don’t say that just because a Democrat is in the White House.  I was a Democrat for many years.  So were my parents.

Before I ran for District Attorney, two Republicans invited my husband and me to lunch.  And I knew a party-switch was exactly what they wanted.

So, I told Chuck, we’ll be polite, enjoy a free lunch and then say goodbye.

But we talked about issues—they never used the words Republican, or Democrat, conservative or liberal.

We talked about many issues, like welfare – is it a way of life, or a hand-up?

Talked about the size of government — how much should it tax families and small businesses?

And when we left that lunch, we got in the car and I looked over at Chuck and said, “I’ll be damned, we’re Republicans.”

This election should not be about political parties.  Too many Americans are out of work, and our debt is out of control.  This election needs to be about those issues.
And it is the responsibility of both parties to offer up real solutions and have an honest debate.

In New Mexico, I inherited the largest structural deficit in state history.

And our legislature is controlled by Democrats.

We don’t always agree.

But we came together – in a bi-partisan manner—and turned that deficit into a surplus, all without raising taxes.

That’s not the kind of leadership we are seeing from President Obama.

He promised to bring us all together, to cut unemployment, to pass immigration reform in his first year and even promised to cut the deficit in half in his first term.

Do you remember that?

But he hasn’t come close.

They haven’t even passed a budget in Washington, DC in three years!

If he can take credit for government building small businesses, then he can accept responsibility for breaking his promise and adding 5 trillion dollars to the national debt.

Because he did build that.

As the first Hispanic female governor in history, little girls often come up to me in the grocery store or the mall.  They look and point, and when they get the courage, they ask “Are you Susana?” and they run up and give me a hug.

And I wonder.  How do you know who I am?

But they do. And these are little girls.

It’s in moments like these when I’m reminded that we each pave a path.   And for me, it’s about paving a path for those little girls to follow.

No more barriers.

In many ways Mitt Romney and I are very different. Different starts in life. Different paths to leadership. Different cultures.

But we’ve each shared in the promise of America, and we share a core belief that the promise of America must be kept for the next generation.

El sueno Americanos es tener exito.

It’s success.

Success is the American Dream.

And that success is not something to be ashamed of, or to demonize.

There is one candidate in this election who will protect that dream, one leader who will fight hard to keep the promise of America for the next generation.

And that’s why we must stand up and make Mitt Romney the next president of the United States.

Thank you!

Image Courtesy of  Robotclaw666

The article Remarks by Susana Martinez, Governor of New Mexico appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Tampa, U.S.A. — The Republican National Convention unveiled the ad “This Is Mia Love,” before she spoke at tonight’s proceedings. Currently serving as the mayor of Saratoga Springs, Love is running for Utah’s Fourth Congressional District. If elected, Love would be the first black, female Republican elected to Congress ever.

Mayor Mia Love: The first day of college my father came with me to orientation and I remember he looked at me. He looked at me very seriously and he said, “Mia, your mother and I have done everything to get you to where you are right now.” We have never taken a hand out, we have worked hard for everything we have through personal responsibility. You will not be a burden to society. You will give back.

My favorite part of running for congress, hands down: talking to people and meeting with people. I love Utah. I mean look at how beautiful this is. We live in the greatest place in the world.

My heroes are my parents, my husband, and my children. They understand that they’ve got dreams and all they want to do is fulfill those dreams.
Washington needs a little bit more of that.

Jason Love: If I were to start listing the things that she’s involved in: Her role as mayor, her participation in service in our local church, she teaches fitness classes, she makes our home a wonderful place and helps me as a partner to raise our children, she’s very talented, her mind works very quickly.

Mayor Mia Love: We’re going to do one hill. The good news is? You’ll be happy when it’s done!

I am passionate about running, I am passionate about having a healthy life. It’s not about being thin it’s you are in life. It’s about how strong you are and how much endurance you have. Because difficult things are not easy, but they’re worth it.

If I could describe freedom in one word, it would be agency: the ability to make a decision and reap the benefits of those decisions or suffer the consequences.

If I could go to Washington tomorrow and change one thing, it would be to restore the power of the decision making back to the people.
It is not government’s responsibility to save our country. It’s up to us to save our country.

What makes America great is this idea that we are free, free to work, free to live, free to choose, and free to fail, because our failures make us better.

I have to say I have no regrets being where I am, and I love my life.

I’m Mia Love and I’m running for Congress.

Image Courtesy of  PBS News Hour

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Good evening. I have the honor of standing before you this evening for one reason, because thousands upon thousands of grassroots activists stood united, not for a candidate, but for the sake of restoring liberty. Accountability, quite rightly, rests firmly in the hands of “We the People.”

Since 2010, something extraordinary has been happening, something that has dumbfounded the chattering class.

It began here in Florida in 2010. In Utah, Kentucky, Pennsylvania.

Was repeated this summer in Indiana. Nebraska. Wisconsin.

And this past month, in the Lone Star State, Texas.

What is happening all across America is a Great Awakening.

A response to career politicians in both parties who’ve gotten us into this mess.

This national movement is fueled by what unites us: a love of liberty, a belief in the unlimited potential of free men and women.

I want to tell you a love story. It’s the story of all of us, a love story of freedom.

It’s the story of our Founding Fathers, who fought and bled for freedom and then crafted the most miraculous political document ever conceived, our Constitution. The Framers understood that our rights come, not from monarchs, but from God—and that those rights are secure only when government power is restrained.

This love story is the story of the brave Texans in the City of Gonzales. When General Santa Annademanded that they give up their guns and the cannon that guarded the city, they responded with the immortal cry “Come and take it.”

It’s the story of the greatest generation of Americans, who rose up to confront the grotesque evil that was the Nazis, and ushered in the greatest era of peace and prosperity the world has ever seen.

It’s the story of civil-rights heroes, like Dr. Martin Luther King, who stood strong against the scourge of discrimination, and bravely championed that every man and woman should be judged, not by the color of our skin, but by the content of our character.

It’s the story of President Ronald Reagan, who turned back the creeping growth of government and restored Morning in America. Who spoke out against the oppressive evil of communism and demanded “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.”

It’s the story of my Mom. Irish and Italian, working class, the first in her family to go to college – a pioneering mathematician and computer programmer in the 1950s.

It’s the story of my Dad, who was imprisoned and tortured in Cuba, beaten nearly to death. He fled toTexas in 1957, not speaking English, with $100 sewn into his underwear. He washed dishes making50 cents an hour to pay his way through the University of Texas, and to start a small business in the oil and gas industry.

My father is here tonight. When he came to America, él no tenía nada, pero tenía corazón. He had nothing, but he had heart. A heart for freedom. Thank you, Dad.

It’s the story of each and every one of you. We are all sons and daughters of those who risked everything for freedom, and we have the duty to pass that same opportunity to the generations to follow.

And yet today, many in Washington seem content to saddle our children with a financial debt larger than our nation has ever seen.

Government is out of control, and we’re going broke.

But I’m here with a word of encouragement. Millions of Americans are standing up, saying we want our country back. Republicans, Democrats, and independents. We will not follow the path of Greece; we will not go quietly into the night.

This election presents a stark choice. Two visions: we can continue down the road of the Obama Democrats, towards more and more spending, debt and government control of the economy and our lives. Or we can return to the founding principles of our nation—free markets, fiscal responsibility, and individual liberty.

Unfortunately, President Obama’s campaign is going to try to divide America. They’re going to try to separate us into little groups, and try to scare everybody. They’re going to tell seniors that Medicare will be taken away, tell Hispanics that we’re not welcome here and send the Vice President to preach a message of division.

It’s sad, how far we’ve come from hope and change.

All of this is designed to distract from the real issues that matter. Twenty-three million Americans struggling for work. Sixteen trillion dollars in national debt. Government takeovers of healthcare, of financial services and many aspects of our economy.

Imagine, for a moment, if someone surreptitiously charged hundreds of thousands of dollars on your credit cards, saddling your kids with debts they could never escape.

That’s exactly the impact of this administration’s misguided policies. Heidi and I are blessed with two little girls, Caroline and Catherine, 4 and 1. When Caroline was born, our national debt was $10 trillion. Today, as the debt clock shows, it’s $16 trillion, larger than our gross domestic product.

How do we turn things around? How do we get America back to work? President Obama thinks the answer is more and more government.

Government is not the answer. You are not doing anyone a favor by creating dependency, destroying individual responsibility.

Fifty-five years ago, when my dad was a penniless teenage immigrant, thank God some well-meaning bureaucrat didn’t put his arm around him and say let me take care of you. Let me give you a government check and make you dependent on government. And by the way, don’t bother learning English. That would have been the most destructive thing anyone could have done.

Instead, my parents worked together to start a small business, to provide for their family and to chart their own future. That’s the American dream, and Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan understand that.

Under President Obama, 23 million Americans are struggling for work. Hispanic unemployment has risen to over 10 percent; African-American unemployment is over 14 percent. This is tragic.

And here I want to say something especially to the Democrats who are listening tonight. You can send a wake-up message to your party—the party that was once proud to be the party of working people. Obama’s policies have failed.

Jobs don’t come from government; they come from entrepreneurs and small businesses. Two thirds of all new jobs come from small business, and 2.3 million Hispanics own small businesses and yet this Administration has imposed higher taxes and crushing regulations on small businesses across our nation.

To restore America, to get Americans back to work, we must rein in the leviathan. We must stop spending money we don’t have and turn around our crushing debt.

Each of you comprises the fabric of our nation. Together, we must revive our many-century love story with liberty and restore that shining City on a Hill that is America.

I’d like to close with asking you a few questions, with apologies to Barack Obama.

Can we restore the Constitution?

Yes we can.

Can we retake the U.S. Senate?

Can we repeal ObamaCare?

And can we defeat President Barack Obama?

That, my friends, is change we can believe in.

Thank you, and God bless America.

Image Courtesy of  PBS News Hour

The article Remarks by Ted Cruz, Texas Candidate for U.S. Senate appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

On the day that Paul Ryan was to give his acceptance speech for the nomination of Vice-President, Ryan knew he had to bring it. Not just because needed to excite the base. Nor was it because he needed to set the narrative in a way that combated the attacks he has already received since Mitt Romney selected him as his running mate. No, he needed to hit it out the park, because a day and half of the same message from different people had grown, if not tedious, certainly stale.

We Built It and We Can Do better may be the rallying cry, but it needed to be told in a fresh way something fierce. If there were any worries about Ryan’s ability to get the job done, they were unfounded.

Simply put, Ryan knocked the ball out of the park.

In a speech that interwove his personal story and beliefs with the plans of a Romney-Ryan ticket, Ryan effectively made the case for the plans and policies they are fighting to implement. Many have commented on Ryan’s likeability and personable manner. Both traits came through in both tone and demeanor. Stories about his family and calling his mother, “his role model” are flatly stock in trade items in politics, but there was an earnestness that permeated through Ryan. He is not just saying these things, they are true for him. This will go a long way for him in the campaign, and made the strong medicine he threw at Obama non offensive.

In a speech that had plenty of zingers in it, Ryan nonetheless never made the attacks personal. They were, in fact, not attacks, so much as critiques. What was different in his speech, in contrast to the attacks thus far from President Obama, is that Ryan focused on the results of the last three years. He zeroed in on facts, and figures, but personalized their consequences.

He made it personal as he talked about the GM factory in his hometown of Jamesville, Wisconsin, the people that he knew who used to work there, and the Obama administrations broken promise to keep it open. This was in contrast to the half a billion the President used in Solyndra. 

Ryan is known as a policy guy. For him its about the numbers, the policy and the results that follow. Ryan, however, was able to explain, keep the speech flowing, serve red meat, and do it with in a humorous way. His best zinger perhaps being the vivid image he conjured with this line: “Americans in their 20′s should not have to move home with their parents house, living in their old rooms, looking up at fading Obama posters and waiting for life to begin.”

A comment meant to target younger voters, but still managed to convey an important message to adults as well. Its a tactic that he used more than once. Throw a funny zinger like, “The President has said he has not communicated enough. That is his job to tell a story. In the last four years we have not suffered from a lack of words from the White House. What we are missing is leadership in the white house.”

Never in the speech did it become about Obama personally or about ideology. Just the results and what needs to be done to get better results. This is why the speech was a home run. Not because he could get applause lines, or get a standing ovation from the people in attendance. They are all going vote for Romney and him anyway. No the brilliance was delivering a speech that moderates, independents, and apathetic voters can understand. The message came through because it was a truthful one delivered at partisan event that did not sound at all partisan. Not in tone. And that is what Romney will need from Ryan during the campaign.

Image Courtesy of  PBS News Hour

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